3 66 



Scientific Proceedings (124). 



to hemolysis than normally, so a second animal, which had been 

 bled but little previously, supplied the erythrocytes for the second 

 series of 100 cases. In this series, 34 per cent, of the sera showed 

 the natural hemolytic index desired. All sera were tested either 

 shortly after the blood was drawn, or within 24 hours; the latter 

 were kept in the icebox until used. 



Of the seven suitable sera in the first series, only one gave a 

 positive reaction with both methods. Another gave a question- 

 able positive reaction with the Hecht-Weinberg-Gradwohl method, 

 while with the Wassermann method, a negative resulted with the 

 acetone-insoluble antigen, but a low positive with the cholester- 

 inized antigen. The remaining five sera gave negative reactions 

 by both methods. In the second series of tests, 34 were found of 

 sufficiently high hemolytic value to be used advantageously in 

 comparative tests. Of these, 28 gave negative results with both 

 methods. Five sera gave positive reactions with the Hecht- 

 Weinberg-Gradwohl technique; four of which gave similar reac- 

 tions by the Wassermann method, and one was negative. The 

 latter was a serum from a treated luetic patient with w T hich the 

 Hecht-Weinberg-Gradwohl test gave only a low positive (+) re- 

 action; however, the Wassermann method gave a doubtful (±) 

 reaction using the cholesterinized antigen with this serum. The 

 Wassermann method also gave a strongly positive (+ + + +) with 

 the cholesterinized antigen in one case where the acetone-insoluble 

 antigen gave a negative result, as well as the Hecht-Weinberg- 

 Gradwohl test. This patient gave a history of a syphilitic infec- 

 tion ten years previously, and had undergone early treatment. 

 All sera in the above series which gave positive reaction in any of 

 these tests came from patients whose history supported the find- 

 ings, except in one case, where it was quite suspicious. 



While our series of tests are too small for definite conclusions, 

 they suggest that possibly under certain circumstances, the 

 Hecht-Weinberg-Gradwohl test might be superior to the Wasser- 

 mann method when an acetone-insoluble antigen is used. But 

 on the other hand the latter method with a cholesterinized anti- 

 gen probably gives better results with known infected cases. 



